Need some advice. I have been invited to the first round of interviews for that BBC programme, The Apprentice, with Alan Sugar. Since I haven't really seen the UK version, I don't know how they really portray the contestants and whether the show is well respected in the UK. (I have tended to watch the US version where even unsuccesful candidates have gone on to do well). Close family say that I should not do it as it will ruin my strategy consulting career. I like to try different things so I am keen. What would you guys do in my position?

1. Become a grotesque caricature of what your average thick man on the street thinks of as a good businessman (think loud, think "ruthless") Win the show but have the whole world think you are a twat.2. Get on the show and tell Sir Alan he is a peasant who knows fuck all about people. Get fired. Get the respect of the country.xxxxx

There have been consultants on the UK Apprentice before - discussed on this forum at the time I think the consensus was they weren't the most impressive examples.Like any reality show, the programme makers pick you more than the other way around. They'll select for personality rather than ability - characters who make for good TV "entertainment" rather than those who would be best at the job. Once on the programme, I think you have to remember that footage is edited again for TV purposes, so you may not feel your abilities are represented properly.But assuming you want to be on the programme for the sake of it rather than for the job itself, you need to be fairly egocentric and prepared to live with the consequences. I wouldn't say the programme is respected in the UK (in business circles anyway), so it won't make your career. Neither will it break it though - noone remembers old contestants after a few months unless they were really shockingly bad. And therein lies the biggest consideration - TV can show the world what you're really like, which may not be how you view yourself. The choice is yours - good luck if you go for it.

Are you serious???? Why on earth would you want to go on that show after seeing it? Do you actually know what Amstrad do now and how well the company performs? But on the plus side you could end up with a £100k job as a travelling salemans trying to flog those rubbish phones.You want to try something different with the ultimate prize being a job in Brentwood working for someone who say's that he doesn't like to flash his cash but has a Rolls-Royce with AMS1 as the number plate. What a c***.BBC were doing a series for which they wanted professional people that sounded like a cross between "Lost" and "McGyver" set in Brazil.....now that would be class!

The show is probably more respected in the US than the UK. That has to be in part because of cultural differences and in part because Trump is not as annoyng as Sugar.Alot of Americans aspire to following the American Dream and being the next Donald Trump, whereas Brits seem split between seeing Sir Alan Sugar as 'barrow boy made good' and those that share bebebe's sentiments about the bloke. The Trump show gets some really high profile companies involved, whereas Sugar's version is a bit tacky. However despite that if you got to the final rounds all that BBC coverage would raise your business profile, and alot of former contestants have done well just from being on the show (been approached for other jobs, been offered well paid opportunities etc.) If you are 'thick skinned' enough for it (he has a real chip on his shoulder by the way about consultants) then go for it.I suppose the biggest 'career risk' is that lots of people hear you are doing it and then if you don't get to the final rounds you will be compared unfavourably against those apprentices that do. If you look at the type of people Sugar favours that could often be a real concern! If you do well most people would see it as either a career plus or at least quite a funny talking point in a consultancy or on a CV. Someone would have to be very mean spirited to damage your career because you had done it, and who cares about people like that anyhow.If you have a strong character and you want to do something a bit different I'd go for it, and good luck if you do!